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Why cats have tails? What are their tails for?
- Thread starter solomonar
- Start Date
I think you have had the answers to that. You can do some further reading from the sources you have been given
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #23
Evolutionary theory offers explanations to the speciation process, but cant answer to particular question. The evolutionists say : "most fitted", but they cannot spot whether a particular feature is more fitted than the other. Let aside the controversy around the theory as such.
What sounds logic does not have to be true just because is logic.
I found a lot of explanations that are based of facts that should be true, nobody checking whether those facts are true.
In order to be able to find the real answer, we must first recognize that we do not have one.
And my question is neither a joke, nor a philosophic inquiry. I have seen tens of times pictures about "tail language", "ears language" and so on. I have read many times about the role of tail in running and jumping. But no ground, just assumptions, based on what we believe the role may be, not on studies.
This question is of utmost importance for cat behavior control.
What sounds logic does not have to be true just because is logic.
I found a lot of explanations that are based of facts that should be true, nobody checking whether those facts are true.
In order to be able to find the real answer, we must first recognize that we do not have one.
And my question is neither a joke, nor a philosophic inquiry. I have seen tens of times pictures about "tail language", "ears language" and so on. I have read many times about the role of tail in running and jumping. But no ground, just assumptions, based on what we believe the role may be, not on studies.
This question is of utmost importance for cat behavior control.
Cats need their tails for balance when jumping. They are so long and sensitive because of the MANY nerves and muscles in their hindquarters that are present in a cat to allow them to jump and climb so high. Tail amputations/damage even affects their bladder and bowl function because there are so many nerves and muscles present in the tail. The tail expresses their moods because it is connected so intimately and is so sensitive because of the same. That is MY reason for a cat's tail!
This is just my opinion based on what I have observed.
I care for a colony of semi-feral cats. For some reason, either in-breeding or because they carry the Japanese bob-tail gene, several of them have very short tails. A few have what I would describe as mid-length tails but these are twisted into corkscrews and can't move very much.
The bob-tailed cats don't climb as much as the long-tailed cats. They seems to have trouble balancing on narrow surfaces. (I had to make the shelves of my Kitty Highway wider because the bob-tailed cats fell off a few times. None of the long-tailed cats ever did.) They don't attempt such wide jumps as the long-tailed cats do.
I have 22 cats altogether, male and female, ranging from 2 to 8 kilos in weight. Their willingness to climb and jump seems to be based on tail length more than on body size or weight.
I think that their tail length affects their ability to communicate with the other cats in some ways. One thing I have noticed is that if a long-tailed cat is getting irritated he or she will lash their tail furiously from side to side. Short tailed cats or cats who have less mobility in their tails can't do this. Tail lashing serves as a warning to other cats to back off. The shorter tailed cats can't give this warning, so end up swatting at or attacking which ever cat is annoying them.
The two bob-tailed males in particular seem to get in a lot more scraps than the others do. Could be personality I guess, but I think it's because they're not communicating as well as the other colony cats do.
I care for a colony of semi-feral cats. For some reason, either in-breeding or because they carry the Japanese bob-tail gene, several of them have very short tails. A few have what I would describe as mid-length tails but these are twisted into corkscrews and can't move very much.
The bob-tailed cats don't climb as much as the long-tailed cats. They seems to have trouble balancing on narrow surfaces. (I had to make the shelves of my Kitty Highway wider because the bob-tailed cats fell off a few times. None of the long-tailed cats ever did.) They don't attempt such wide jumps as the long-tailed cats do.
I have 22 cats altogether, male and female, ranging from 2 to 8 kilos in weight. Their willingness to climb and jump seems to be based on tail length more than on body size or weight.
I think that their tail length affects their ability to communicate with the other cats in some ways. One thing I have noticed is that if a long-tailed cat is getting irritated he or she will lash their tail furiously from side to side. Short tailed cats or cats who have less mobility in their tails can't do this. Tail lashing serves as a warning to other cats to back off. The shorter tailed cats can't give this warning, so end up swatting at or attacking which ever cat is annoying them.
The two bob-tailed males in particular seem to get in a lot more scraps than the others do. Could be personality I guess, but I think it's because they're not communicating as well as the other colony cats do.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #26
@Norachan
Very valuable observations!
Particularly this one "Their willingness to climb and jump seems to be based on tail length more than on body size or weight".
This makes me think, as I found it more interesting at a second reading. Still thinking :-).
As for communication point: seems clear with respect of bob-tailed cats, but less obvious in respect of shorter tail - in the sense that the length of tail should not influence the effectiveness of communication. It would be very interesting to bind a (strip) bow in the tip of the tail to see whether the shape of the tail is relevant, or the movement as such.
===
The colony looks to me like a goldmine in respect of cat behavior study. I think it is extremely interesting to watch them, perhaps doing some quantitative measurements.
Very valuable observations!
Particularly this one "Their willingness to climb and jump seems to be based on tail length more than on body size or weight".
This makes me think, as I found it more interesting at a second reading. Still thinking :-).
As for communication point: seems clear with respect of bob-tailed cats, but less obvious in respect of shorter tail - in the sense that the length of tail should not influence the effectiveness of communication. It would be very interesting to bind a (strip) bow in the tip of the tail to see whether the shape of the tail is relevant, or the movement as such.
===
The colony looks to me like a goldmine in respect of cat behavior study. I think it is extremely interesting to watch them, perhaps doing some quantitative measurements.
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I have one cat with a bobtail, very short like an inch or two long. I've observed the same thing with him not being able to jump as high as any of my other cats, even my other normal-tailed male cat of equal size and weight. Even though we adopted him during the first couple years of his life according to the vet, he's never been able to jump higher than like 3 or 4 feet. We have a step stool out for him to get up to the window. Also, Cocoa the bobtailed cat doesn't really communicate with his tail well. All my other cats very clearly approach with their tails raised to greet me, and shake their tails when they're angry. Cocoa does none of that, all he can really do with his tail is point it up or down. I think that does lead to confusion with my other cats about what his body language means.
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My cats tail seems to be mostly for wagging.
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Gibbs has only half a tail,
'Tis scarcely worth the bother;
Despite his doleful tailessness
He still consumed your Father.
.
'Tis scarcely worth the bother;
Despite his doleful tailessness
He still consumed your Father.
.
